


This is the End

by Cordelia_Sun



Category: Farscape
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Season/Series 04, Starburst Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-05-07 18:26:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5466659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cordelia_Sun/pseuds/Cordelia_Sun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John successfully closes the wormhole, but not everything goes to plan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This is the End

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 88th Starburst challenge; take something from Bad Timing, change it and see where it leads.

**In Pilot’s Den…**

Aeryn’s hands flowed over the controls in slow, careful motions. She didn’t think, she didn’t have to, the command sequences came to her as naturally as flying her prowler; muscle memory. It was just as well; she didn’t want to think.

Pain throbbed in her chest; a dull ache more psychological than physical... although there was some of that too. Aeryn let herself sink into it; she kept her eyes closed in the low lights and let the cold, cavernous comfort envelop her.

She heard the swish of the door.

The ring of boots on the walkway.

The deep draw of breath.

A pause.

“You don’t have to say anything,” she said.

“I—.”

“He was aware of the risks,” she said, “we all were.”

Silence.

“Moya OK?” he asked.

“She’s stopped panicking.”

“That’s good.”

Aeryn’s hands glided over curved controls… _discharge pumps_.

“You OK?”

“I’m fine John.”

“Does it hurt?” he asked. 

Aeryn's hand touched briefly to the dozens of organic tendrils buried in her chest; the connection to Moya forged and forced in haste with Stark and Noranti’s help.

Aeryn shook her head.

_Yes._

 

**In the Hanger…**

Rygel hovered beside Pilot’s body his small hand resting on his carapace; it was still warm to the touch. Out of his den, laid out in a loose limbed sprawl across a makeshift stretcher, Pilot seemed impossibly big to the little Hynerian.

Noranti circled the body, stepping lightly and humming soft incantations as she anointed Pilot’s still form with sweet smelling oils. Stark followed her with his own prayers; both of them at ease in the presence of death.

“How can you all be so calm!” Chiana stalked toward the group and climbed onto a nearby crate. She settled into a deep crouch; her swaying form and curled fingertips signalling her agitation, “Pilot is _dead_ and it’s all our fault. What are we going to do? What’s going to happen to us? To Moya?”

“It’s no one’s fault Chiana,” said Rygel quietly, “Pilot understood the risk and chose his path.”

“Yeah, well… we shouldn’t have let him!”

“Calm down child. Here, this will ease your mind.” Noranti reached up to anoint the Nebari’s forehead.

“Get away from me old woman!” Chiana squealed and batted the old woman’s hand away; Noranti shrugged and turned her attention back to Pilot.

“Seriously, nobody’s answered my question. What are we going to do without Pilot?”

“We will take Lo’la and head to Pilot’s home world,” D’Argo voiced boomed as he strode into the hanger carrying two large bags, “they will provide us with a new Pilot.”

“Re-replace Pilot? You can’t!”

“We have _no_ choice. By the time we return the mineral waters of this planet should have healed Moya enough to undergo the bonding process.”

Chiana gaped at him; her mouth a black circle of horror and Rygel knew exactly how she felt. The thought of replacing Pilot was grotesque.

“Well... then I’m coming with you!” Chiana announced defiantly, “I wanna be sure they send someone good enough for Moya!”

“Of course,” D’Argo managed a weak smile and swung a bag from his shoulder, “this is yours. We leave immediately.”

Chiana gave a firm nod and jumped down from the crate to follow D’Argo. She paused beside Rygel and ran a black gloved hand along Pilot's head.

“Do you think it’ll be all right?” she asked Rygel softly.

“Of course, girl. Of course.” He said.

Chiana leaned in and pressed her lips against the smooth carapace and sighed, “Yeah.”

**A fast ship flies towards the injured Leviathan…**

_Tracker scouts were correct. One Leviathan, partially submerged. No indication of invaders._

_Do you scan any armaments?_

_I scan no armaments._

_Then we will wait and observe. Do not reveal yourself and report any developments. Understood?_

_Yes._

 

**In Pilot’s Den…**

“We have some unfinished business.” John’s voice was low and quiet as if it came from a great distance. Aeryn’s eyes flickered up to look at him for the first time since he entered the den. He held up a coin, ”A year ago... we let a coin make our decisions for us.”

“Not again,” said Aeryn

“Call it,” John demanded and flicked the coin high into the air. As she watched Aeryn felt a stabbing pain in her heart that had nothing to do with the connections to Moya. She watched the coin turn and turn and turn until it dropped from view over the walkway. In her imagination it plunged into the depths spinning forever.

“I have a question.”

“Can I go first?”

“Yeah.” John nodded and Aeryn took a deep breath before she began.

“When I was on the Command Carrier, I went to see a surgeon. I was really worried about what the Scarrans did to me." Aeryn's arms moved over the controls as she tried not to think about what her connection to Moya might mean for the baby. "The fetus has been released from its stasis. So... I'm having a baby.”

“You okay?” asked John biting his lips, “the baby?”

“It's yours,” Aeryn blurted, “I just wanted to tell you. Hope it doesn't change anything.”

John stared at her, his bright eyes like shattered glass, and Aeryn’s returned his intense gaze willing him to Just. Say. Something.

“Umhmm... well it changes everything.” John rubbed his hands over his face and looked around the den; brow furrowed in confusion,

“We’re gonna have a baby?” he said and a smile spread across his face, like sunlight across a planet.

“Frell!” he panted and leapt onto the console. He cupped Aeryn’s face in his hands and pressed his lips to her forehead before he fixed his eyes on her, “WE ARE GONNA HAVE - A BABYYYYYYYYY!”

A smile spread across Aeryn’s lips and she managed to hold back the tears that welled up with her relief, “you said you had a question?”

“Oh, yeah!” John twisted and dug into his pocket; when he pulled his hand up something glistened in the low light. He held the object out to her hooked over his thumb.

“Aeryn. Will you marry me?” he said.

“Yes,” she said, “Yes!”

 

**Sensor panels scream in a watching ship as Lo’la emerges from Moya’s docking bay and shoots up out of the atmosphere…**

_Come in control_

_You have something to report?_

_A ship has just emerged from the Leviathan; scans show heavy armaments._

_Can you engage?_

_Negative; the ship has left the planet._

_Then neutralise the Leviathan for analysis_

_Negative; the target is too large for neutralisation_

_Then we have no other choice… destroy the Leviathan. We will send a squadron in pursuit of the fleeing ship. Understood?_

_Yes._

 

This is the END.


End file.
